Speed-indicator



(No Model.)

W. C. WESTAWAY an G. I. LEONARD.

SPEED INDICATOR.

Patented July 28, 1891.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VAIIER C. WESTAIVAY AND GEORGE I. LEONARD, OF DEOORAH, IOWA.

SPEED-INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 456,919, dated July 28,1891.

Application filed November 3, 1890- Serial No. 370,238. (No model.)

T0 a/ZZ whom t may concern..-

Be it known that we, WALTER C. WEST- AWAY and GEORGE I: LEONARD, both ofDecorah, in the county of Vinneshiek and State of Iowa, have jointlyinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Speed-Indicators, ofwhich the following is a specification.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein similarreference-letters indicate the same parts, Figure 1 is a side elevation;Fig. 2, a top plan; Fig. 3, a diagram of the needle and its dial; Fig.4, a perspective View of the apparatus in the box or case, thedial-plate and cover having been removed; and Fig. 5 a perspective view,of the cam-cone, shown bottom up.

The invention relates to that class of devices which are attached to orused in connection with shafting or machinery having a rotary motion toindicate the speed of revolution, or in connection with the wheel oraxle of a car, locomotive, or vehicle of any description to indicate therate of speed at which the carriage is traveling. As heretoforeconstructed, such devices when employed in positions where they aresubject to sudden jars or shocks-for example, on sulkies, buggies,bicycles, locomotives, and other forms of land conveyance-are liable tohave their normal operation so disturbed by the rough j olting of thecarriage that the result is either temporarily or permanently a falseindication of the speed. As an illustration, assume a speedindicatorwhose index-hand `is controlled by a Watt governor connected to therunning machinery. So long as there is no jar the indication will becorrect; but a rough jolt is liable to throw both of the governorarmsdown or up simultaneously, thus causing a false indication. The objectof our invention is to correct this evil by so constructing the machinethat',while sensitive to all changes of speed, no aberration will becaused by any sudden shocks or jars to which it may be subjected. Inaccomplishing this object we employl the centrifugal principle of theVatt governor, but with improvements which so change the mode ofoperation as to effect the result desired.

The principle of the main improvement is as follows, to wit: first, soconnecting the two centrifugal weights that if either move both areobliged to move simultaneously to the same extent and in oppositedirections; seeondly, guiding both weights, so that if they move at allthey are obliged to move on a substantially horizontal line-that is tosay, on a line so nearly horizontal that vertical jars will not displacethem; thirdly, using centrifugal force to move the weights outward andspring force or its equivalent to draw them inward when the centrifugalforce decreases, and, fourthly, employing the movement of the weightsthus connected and guided to control the position of anindicating-needle or its equivalent.

'Subordinate improvements will be sufficiently indicated by thedescription and claims.

For convenience of handling and application, we arrange the mechanism ina suitable box or case A, having a cover or glass to protect thedial-plate N and indicating-needle n from injury. Through a boss Iat thebottom of the case extends a shaft B, carrying the pulley or gear C', towhich the power is applied from the running wheel or other'part whosespeed is to be indicated. A substantially-horizon tal arm D rests on theupper end of the boss I within the case, and is caused to rotate in ahorizontal plane by the revolutions of the vertical shaft B. Weights E Eare arranged to slide 011 the opposite` ends of the arm D and` be guidedthereby. Around the shaft B the arm D is provided with a hub d, formedwith cam-inclines d', such as are commonly employed on gatehinges,shutter-hinges, dac., to raise the gate or shutter when opened and causeit to close by gravity, and upon this hub is mounted a cone-shaped blockF, centered by the shaft B, and provided at its lower end withcaminclinesfto iit the inelines d. An arm F extends outward from eachside of the block F, and is connected by an articulated rod I-I or itsequivalent to one of the weights E, one arm being connected to one ofthe Weights and the other to the other. A coiled spring G extends fromeach arm F to a suitable projection of the arm D, and tends to draw theconnected weights .inward toward the center of motion, and to hold thecam block or cone F at its lowest or normal position.

Normally the parts occupy the position shown in Fig. l, with thecam-cone at its lowest and the weights at their innermost position. Whenthe device rotates,the Weights tend to move outward on the guide-arms Dunder centrifugal action, but are obliged to move simultaneously andequally, by reason of the connections H F. decreases, the springs G drawthe weights inward again, this movement being for the same reasonsimultaneous and equal. Any jar tending to slide one of the weightsoutward or inward on the supporting-arm D will tend to slide the otherweight equally in the opposite direction, and the effect on themechanism will therefore be completely neutralized or canceled. Any jartending to throw either weight in a horizontal direction transverse tothe armD will tend to throw the other weight equallyin the samedirection, and both movements will therefore be resisted by the verticalshaft at the center. Any jar tending to throw either weight in avertical direction will tend equally to throw the other weight in thesame direction, but, being guided by the arm D, they cannot movevertically without moving the supporting-arm also, and the latter may beheld at the center from vertical movement by its attachment to the shaftB, or by any suitable collar or other device well known to mechanics forsuch purpose. Hence no jar in any direction can disturb the normal andperfectly accurate operation of the governing-weights and their springs.

When the weights move outward under ther increasing speed of the runningmachinery, the connections H F draw the cam-cone F around, causing it toride up on the cam-surfaces d, and when the speed of the machinerydecreases the springs G draw the arms F and weights back toward or totheir normal positions, causing the cam-coneF to ride down again towardor to its normal position. The vertical movements of the cam-cone thuseffected are employed to control the indicating-needle n. Any suitableintermediate vmechanism maybe employed to communicate this motion of thecam-cone to the needle, or other device employed as an indicator; but weprefer the following simple and effective means:

K is a right-angled lever pivoted at its angle to a bracket M and havingits horizontal arm resting upon the upper end of the cam-cone and itsvertical arm provided with a cog-rack k.

L is a small vertical shaft supported by brackets M R and provided witha pinion Z, which gears with the rack 7c. The needle n extends from theside of the shaft L over the dial-plate and is provided with a lighthair- XV hen the speedy spring O, acting on the shaft L, to resist themovement of the needle from zero and to return it thereto when permittedby the camcone to do so. The rising of the cam-cone under the increasedspeed of the machinery moves the lever K, and consequently the needle n,in exact proportion to the speed, and when the speed decreases and thecamcone descends the spring O causes the needle to return as far as theposition of the cone will permit.

Our invention is not limited to matters of form or details ofconstruction. In practical manufacture, for example, it may be deemedbest to use a single spring G, or to make the horizontal member D Dintegral with. the shaft B, or possibly to change the form of saidmember and its connections, the principle of the invention beinginvolved wherever two counterbalancing-weights are so connected to arotary supporting member that they are incapable of vertical or lateraldisplacement thereon, and are capable only of sliding simultaneouslytoward or from the center of rotation, substantially as hereinabove setforth.

Having thus described our invention,what

we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a speed-indicator,.the combination of the following elements, viz:a rotary member to support and rotate the centrifugal weights,counterbalancing-weights supported by said member and so guided as to becapable of movement thereon only in lines radial to the vertical axis ofrotation, connections between said weights adapted to compel them whenmoved on said radial lines to move equally and in opposite directions, areturning spring or springs tending to draw the weights toward thecenter of rotation, and a central device supported by and revolving withsaid rotary member and so connected to said weights as to be movedvertically by any change of their position radially, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a speed-indicator, the combinationof the rotary member D, theweights E E, supported and guided thereby, the central caniblock F, theretracting spring or springs G, and the connections F H, when combinedand operating substantially as described.

v3. In a speed-indicator, the combination of the cam-block F with arotating support having a corresponding cam, and provided withradially-movable weights connected to and adapted to operate thecam-block, substantially as described. l

4. In a speed-indicator, the combination of the rotating bar D andweights E E with a central block F, mounted on and rotating with the barand having its opposite sides connected to said Weights, respectively,and to a retracting spring or springs, whereby the radial movement ofthe Weights will ro- IOO tate the central block on its rotating support,accompanied by a similar movement of the substantially as described.other Weight in an opposite direction, sub- 1o 5. In a speed-indicator,in combination with stantially as described.

a horizontal rotary member D, Weights E E, VALTER C. VVESTAWAY.

supported and guided thereon and connected GEORGE I. LEONARD.

to opposite sides of a loose block mounted Witnesses:

centrally on said rotary member, whereby L. W. BEARD,

any radial movement of either Weightwill be H. C. GOODARD.

